Chaenotheca citriocephala
≡Coniocybe citriocephala F.Wilson. Vict. Nat. 6: 66 (1889).
Description : Thallus immersed, dark greenish or hardly staining substratum. Photobiont Trentepohlia. Apothecia short to middle-sized, 0.5–1(–1.2) mm tall, 19–35 times as long as the width of the stalk, slender. Stalk 0.02–0.04 mm diam., shining black without pruina, straight or flexuous. Capitulum obconical, 0.09–0.13(–0.16) mm diam., with a yellowish to reddish brown pruina on the lower side. Exciple well-developed, formed as a continuation of the outer part of the stalk, 9–13 μm thick at the height of the surface of the hypothecium; outer surface covered by irregular yellowish crystals. Hypothecium obconical with flat upper surface, 30–40 μm thick. Asci cylindrical, formed singly and well stalked, 14–20(–27) × 2–2.5(–2.7) μm. Ascospores uniseriate, broadly ellipsoidal, (5–)5.5–7(–7.5) × (2.5–)3–4(–5) μm, smooth and with rather thin wall.
Chemistry : Thallus K−, C−, KC−, Pd−; without chemistry. Pruina consisting of two unidentified compounds; one dissolving in K and precipitating violet-red plate-like, needle-like or feather-like crystals; the other compound is yellow and does not dissolve in K (Tibell 1987).
N: Northland (Te Paki) to Taranaki (Awahou Scenic Reserve). From lignum of kauri and bark of pohutukawa and totara, s.l. to 790 m. Known also from northern Queensland and Victoria in Australia (Tibell 1987: 92; McCarthy 2003c, 2006). A rather rare taxon.
Australasian
Illustration : Tibell (1987: 90, fig. 57).
Chaenotheca citriocephala is characterised by: its small size, the slender apothecia and small capitula having a reddish brown to yellow pruina.
